Flexjet Puts An End To The Plain Plane With Stunning Private Jet Interiors

Back in 1965 Braniff International launched a rebranding that has come to be known as "the end of the plain plane" with its jelly bean fleet of modern jets painted in turquoise, baby blue, medium blue, lemon yellow, orange, lavender and somewhat ironically beige, all with of one seven different interior cabin designs. Three years later it would open its "Terminal of the Future" in Dallas, including a private monorail system linking the parking and terminal building. Ad agency legend Mary Wells Lawrence tapped talent from the world of fashion and design, including the likes of Emilio Pucci and Alexander Girard and later Halston. The bold moves, approved by Braniff's CEO Harding Lawrence, helped increase the interest of everyday Americans in what was still the infancy of the jet age.

Fast forward half a century and Flexjet is offering a new and sexy take on the private jet travel experience. Earlier this year, the company said it would open another one of its private terminals at the same Love Field that was the epicenter of innovation for Braniff. At the same time, it continues to expand its LXi Cabin Collection by Flexjet, the antidote for those of you who find private jet cabins a bit blah. While the Cleveland-based seller of fractional shares, leases and jet cards has yet to paint the exterior of its aircraft in the colors of various fruit candies, the interiors provide a variety of classy and luxurious ways to get where you are going with all the benefits of private air travel and none of the hassles of flying commercially.

The LXi Cabin Collection by Flexjet

In 2015, Flexjet introduced Red Label by Flexjet, which features one of the youngest fleets in the industry, flight crews dedicated to a single aircraft and the LXi Cabin Collection of interiors. To date, there are more than 25 different interior designs across its fleet, which includes the Learjet 75LXi, Challenger 350, the Embraer Legacy 450, Global Express, the Gulfstream G450, G500 and G650, and the planned Aerion AS2 supersonic business jets.

Ric Michaels, Flexjet’s Director of Global Intelligence and the designer behind the LXi Cabin Collection of interiors, recently shared with us some of the various designs owners of Flexjet are now welcomed with as they step aboard their anything but plain private jets.

Aircraft type: Challenger 350

Design: Art Deco

Flexjet Challenger 350 Art Deco

Flexjet

The Art Deco interior design draws inspiration from the red gum wood veneers on the tables, drink rails and bulkheads. Flexjet designers were looking for a ‘wow’ factor, and the exotic red gum species, with its rich browns and visible grains, fit the bill. This was the first time this species of wood was ever used in a Flexjet aircraft. The upper window panel features a silk chintz fabric. Similarly, the leather seats feature a fabric insert. A brushed nickel was selected for the plating including the seat belts.

Aircraft type: Challenger 350

Design: Cognac

Flexjet Challenger 350 Cognac

Flexjet

This design also began with a unique wood veneer: a satin finish called Macone Pommele. This species is a much warmer cognac color than what was used in the Art Deco finish of the Challenger 350. Michaels said he felt the veneer’s satin finish would remind its fractional owners of the comfort of their own living room. The fabric insert on the leather seating is a rich brown velour, which contrasts beautifully with the cream-colored leather. The designers chose a satin almond copper for the hardware, which includes the seat belts and other metal touches on the aircraft. The window panels are a cream-colored, textured silk.

Aircraft type: Challenger 350

Design: Thunderbird

Flexjet Challenger 350 Thunderbird

Flexjet

To contrast the warm-toned Challenger 350 interiors, Flexjet designers turned their eye toward cooler colors. The Thunderbird interior is a substantial change from the warm themes of Cognac and Art Deco. This design was based on the aircraft’s grey oak veneer with silver accents. For this interior, the designers positioned the veneer on the walls with the grain oriented horizontally, giving the cabin a wider appearance. To continue the cool tones, designers paired the veneer with a satin charcoal plating. Michaels actually drove around with the fabric and leather samples of this interior in his car to see how light would reflect on it. In the end, he went with a leather seating with a tweed-like fabric insert. The design is accented with ostrich print leather on the lower sidewall. Michaels said that when creating Thunderbird, he was inspired by the look of the interior of a convertible motorcar.

Aircraft type: Gulfstream G450

Design: Pewter

Flexjet Gulfstream G450 Pewter

Flexjet

Michaels worked with the Gulfstream design team in selecting a veneer in grey oak with a gold tint, which would inspire the warmer theme of this interior. The G450 has two seating groups and to enhance the feeling of separate living areas on the jet, the designers used different colored leathers on the club seats in each seating area.

The plating is a lightly brushed almond metal, and the custom carpet features a gold silk in wavy accents that not only entertain the eye but also cushions stockinged feet. In another optical illusion play, the orientation and design of the carpet makes this 45-foot long cabin appear even longer.

Every detail is designed – even down to the accent pillows. Michaels said the safe choice would have been to use the same material as the divan to cover the pillows, but instead, he opted for a deeply rolled pewter velour material to make a statement.

Aircraft type: Gulfstream G450

Design: Santa Fe

Flexjet Gulfstream G450 Santa Fe

Flexjet

As with Flexjet’s other interiors, this one was inspired by the veneer species. In this case, it is a dark, almost ebony, veneer. Called a zebra veneer, the warm details of the species reminded Michaels of the southwest. That inspiration carried itself throughout the cabin from the snakeskin-patterned distressed grey leather accents on the lower sidewall leather to the cobblestone pattern wool and silk carpet and the tumbleweed color palette, this design aims to transport you.

Aircraft type: Global Express

Design: Boardroom

Flexjet Global Express Boardroom

Flexjet

This interior was inspired by the 1999 movie The Thomas Crown Affair. Take the leather on the club seats for example. The distressed rich brown leather on the armrests contrasted by the smooth “ice” leather of the back and seat was inspired by the wide range of costume changes from the tuxedo worn by the actor Pierce Brosnan in the ballroom scene to the casual blue jeans and white T-shirt he wore in the beach house scenes. The “ice” leather of the seats also inspired the “cracked ice” look of the Scott Group wool and silk carpet.

The designers saw the Global Express as an opportunity to dress up the linen window panels in patterns never before seen on an aircraft and molded them like waves. The effect adds a new design element to an area of a cabin that isn’t typically designed. Fun Fact: When the jet is parked at night and the interior lights are on, passersby can see the wavy window panel design from outside the jet.

Pop-up seats on the Global Express

Flexjet

In a surprise element, pop up seats in the middle of the cabin are covered with a honey brown and rich brown leather paisley print. The design team selected a brushed antique almond plating to compliment the distressed brown leather armrests. Our designers fell in love with the unusual headrest shapes on the seats of the Global Express for the Boardroom interior. The upside-down headrests reminded Michaels of the chairs in the Star Trek starships.

Aircraft type: Global Express

Design: Deco

Flexjet Global Express Deco

Flexjet

By far, this interior is a favorite of Flexjet shareowners, says the company. The Deco interior includes three species of veneer – a burl (with no visible grain), a honey cherry and a black ebony. The black ebony is featured in a custom deco inlay showcase in three prominent places in the cabin. The metal plating in this aircraft is polished nickel – a homage to the roaring 20s that inspired this design. The window panels feature a quilted pattern and visible stitching on a close examination. The ivory leather tufted club seats feature contrasting welting in a reddish wine color. Fun Fact: The carpet was inspired by a New York hotel with 1920s period-appropriate colors including a seafoam green in the detail of the pattern.

Aircraft type: Global Express

Design: Manhattan

Flexjet Global Express Manhattan

Flexjet

This interior was modeled after a Manhattan high rise apartment. The charcoal suede seating offers a strong contrast to the glossy blonde veneer on the drink rail, bulkhead and tables. Many of the designs feature a fabric inset in the seating, but in this case, the designers chose to use a suede. Michaels personally designed the silk accent in the wool carpet. Fun Fact: typically, it takes 10 attempts of a carpet’s custom design before the carpet design is finalized. Not only is quality and appearance considered, but the way it feels when you walk on it in stockinged feet is another important attribute. Flexjet works with the Scott Group for its aircraft carpeting. The window panel’s molded pattern is called waterfall and the plating is a polished, oiled bronze that mirrors the color of the suede seating. The pop-up seats in the dining section of the cabin offer a delightful surprise with the black and white cowhide in a zebra pattern covering the seat cushions.